Hot on the heels of the first Windows 8.1 RTM glitch, we now have a distributing little development on the Windows Phone front. But while Microsoft will easily fix the Windows 8.1 bug, this one requires much more dedicated attention.
Reports have started coming out of an issue in the RTM version of Windows 8.1, with some users claiming that they are not able to disable the Libraries feature.
And now what appears to be the first reference to a malware for the Windows Phone platform has been discovered in a set of tools called FinFisher — even the name is creepily scary.
This little piece of nasty software comes from a company that goes by the name of Gamma Group and is actually used for surveillance purposes. And one of the tools that are part of the suite is called FinSpy Mobile, a malware developed for some of the most popular mobile platforms in the world.
Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Mobile and Windows Phone, all are targeted, none is spared.
Security firm F-Secure claims that this malicious malware can intercept all communications from an infected device on which it is deployed. The security firm has also published images of a presentation of the FinFisher suite that details the specific uses of FinSpy Mobile.
While the other platforms are understandable, this makes it the first time such a tool specifically come with support for Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system.
Windows Phone has largely been considered a very secure platform — but this loss of innocence actually means a few things. First off is the fact that Microsoft’s mobile platform has now come of age. It is now in popular enough around the world to seek attention of hackers and cybercriminals.
Secondly, expect Microsoft to pay due attention to the security aspect of the platform from now on. And thirdly, security firms will start offering their antimalware solutions for Windows Phone soon enough.
This particular malware is actually are lethal as they come. It can record all incoming and outgoing emails, track locations, and offers live surveillance through silent calls and interception of all basic communications like calls, SMS, MMS, call logs, and more.
Needless to say if you see anything fishy regarding FinFisher on your Windows Phone device, run, not walk, away from that thing to stay safe.